Chapter 401 Status
"Of course." Qi Yuxuan glanced at Lan Xin, then immediately went to get the silver for Pei Xing'er.
After the person left, Qi Yuxuan asked, "How am I feeling?"
Pei Xing'er was wondering why Lanxin had to be sent away, so she quickly said, "Your Majesty is in very good health. Even if you eat those pastries, it won't cause any problems. But why can't Sister Lanxin listen to me?"
Qi Yuxuan sighed, "I'm just afraid that Lanxin will tell my mother. After all, the Empress Dowager is my maternal grandmother. If my mother finds out that she gave me a contraceptive and damaged my health, I'm afraid they'll have a falling out..."
Pei Xing'er suddenly realized that being an empress was indeed not easy, and there were too many things to worry about.
"I don't think Sister Lanxin would say it. She's already Her Majesty's maid, why would she report to the Grand Princess?"
Qi Yuxuan smiled but didn't reply.
Lanxin and Mengxian are godmother and goddaughter. Even if they only show a little emotion when they meet occasionally, it is enough for Aunt Meng to figure out the truth. Not to mention that there may be other spies in the palace. If her mother finds out, it will definitely cause a bloodbath.
When Lanxin returns later, she will have to give her some more instructions. She should just assume that the Empress Dowager is worried that Lanxin's health will be harmed by getting pregnant and giving birth at such a young age, and there is no other reason.
Soon after, Lanxin returned with the silver notes.
Pei Xing'er was stunned when she held the two hundred taels of silver notes in her hand. "This, so much silver?!"
Lanxin: "Therefore, I must trouble the Imperial Physician to find the best medicine for Her Majesty! We must not harm Her Majesty's health in the slightest."
Pei Xing'er immediately accepted the order and hurried off to prepare the medicine.
Qi Yuxuan then looked at Lanxin and asked, "Don't you want to know why I need contraceptive medicine?"
Lanxin shook her head: "Your Majesty has her reasons for doing things. This servant is not curious and will not investigate. After today, if Your Majesty wants to take any pills, this servant will only consider them as ordinary pills to regulate the body, and will know nothing else."
For some reason, Lanxin asked, "Your Highness, do you think I might tell my godmother about what's going on in the palace?"
Qi Yuxuan looked up at her and asked, "So, can you?"
Lanxin immediately knelt down. "This servant used to talk to Godmother and the Grand Princess about Your Majesty, but that was when Your Majesty was still a princess. Now that Your Majesty has become Empress, and this servant is a palace maid of Chang Le Palace, I am naturally loyal to Your Majesty and would never tell Godmother anything about the palace without permission."
The front hall was deathly silent. Lan Xin kowtowed to the ground, but no sound came. Just when cold sweat was beading on her back and she was about to collapse, the Empress at the head of the table spoke.
"Alright, get up quickly." Qi Yuxuan personally stood up and helped her up. "You and Bihui both came to the palace with me, how could I not trust you?"
"Don't kneel down so easily in the future. It will hurt your knees. You're still young. If you ruin your legs by kneeling, you'll suffer when you're old."
Her tone was soft and gentle; anyone who heard it would almost think that nothing had happened.
Ke Lan's heart trembled. She had been naive. Her mistress was no longer the Fifth Miss Xiao or Princess Chang Le.
If we say that when Qi Yuxuan was still the Fifth Miss Xiao, Lanxin felt more pity and tenderness towards her, but less respect and fear; even after the Fifth Miss Xiao became the daughter of the Grand Princess and the Princess of Chang Le, Lanxin did not place her above the Grand Princess. After all, Lanxin had served the Grand Princess since childhood, and the Grand Princess was the one who made the decisions in the mansion.
But now she truly realizes that Qi Yuxuan is now the Empress of Qi, and things are no longer the same.
For Lanxin, the Empress was her only master. Regardless of her previous status, she was the only master who could decide her life and death!
Lan Xin trembled all over. Qi Yuxuan patted her shoulder and said, "Do your job well. You are someone I brought from my mother's side. You are also the most useful head maid among all my maids. Aunt Lan Xin has a bright future. I will definitely not treat you badly in the future."
Before she knew it, the Empress had changed her self-reference to "this palace" again. When Lanxin heard this, what else could she not understand? She nodded vigorously, suppressing her inner panic, and agreed repeatedly.
Just then, Chunyue finished her errand and invited the cook from the Cining Palace's small kitchen.
As soon as she entered the front hall, she keenly sensed that something was amiss.
The Empress still seemed cheerful and gentle, so why was Sister Lanxin so silent and trembling?
Chunyue didn't dare to think too much about it. After asking how to settle the people, she quietly withdrew to take care of the matter.
Qi Yuxuan glanced at Lanxin and, seeing that she had recovered, said, "Have Bihui come to see me. Tell her I want to ask her how her mission is going."
Lanxin was taken aback. Bihui had been on night watch last night, wasn't she supposed to be resting now? But she didn't dare ask anything now, and immediately went out in response.
The front hall fell completely silent.
Qi Yuxuan walked to the full-length bronze mirror that she had brought from the Grand Princess's residence and carefully examined her face for a while.
She adopted a serious, dignified, and inscrutable expression, and the person in the bronze mirror reflected the same expression. She rubbed the soft flesh on her cheeks and sighed.
If these things hadn't happened only two days after she entered the palace, she wouldn't have been so paranoid.
Ultimately, it's because her position is different now, and she has to gradually adapt her old habits of dealing with people to life in the palace.
Meanwhile, the west side hall of Hanyuan Hall.
Qi Jun had already heard Chu Heng's report. The man kneeling in front of him, who had taken off his official hat and robes, with a stubble beard and dark circles under his eyes, was none other than Xie Tingzhou.
He stood with his hands behind his back in front of Xie Tingzhou, his gaze somewhat complicated.
Qi You and Wei Qingqing have just revealed everything they know. Now, the Qilin Guard has been ordered to go to the post station to arrest the Yue Kingdom envoys and others, including Nangong Nian.
Qi Jun admitted that he deliberately assigned the wedding ceremony officer to Xie Tingzhou after he learned that the Empress and Xie Tingzhou had exchanged pleasantries that day. However, he did not expect that the location of the fireworks was leaked from Xie Tingzhou.
After listening to the whole story, and learning that it was Xie Tingzhou's stepmother and aunt, along with her sister, who had leaked the information without permission for two hundred taels of silver, she felt both angry and amused.
The emperor's voice was condescending, as if he was suppressing a gritted teeth: "Minister Xie, I remember that your annual salary should not be low, and the empress also subsidizes your medicine money every month. How come the women in your family have to resort to such methods to earn a mere two hundred taels?"
Chu Heng stood aside, stunned by what he heard. The Empress's monthly allowance for medicine? What was this all about?
Moreover, why do I feel a lingering sour smell at the tip of my nose?
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